PERTH City Councillors are concerned they are being left
out of vital decisions regarding the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
It seems council was caught short on 1 June when the PCEC taskforce called a snap meeting for the following morning.
Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass is believed to have received notice of the meeting at 5:30pm on 1 June.
The notice called for Dr Nattrass to nominate a councillor to attend the meeting.
In the end, he made an arbitrary decision to send Councillor Judy McEvoy.
Councillor Laurance Good-man said the choice of Mrs McEvoy had been a strange one.
“This taskforce deals with the two tenderers competing to build the centre,” Mr Goodman said.
He said Mrs McEvoy had declared an interest in one of the tenderers, Multiplex, on five previous occasions.
Mrs McEvoy attended the 2 June meeting but has since resigned from the taskforce.
Mr Goodman called for council to receive copies of facsimiles and correspondence tabled in regard to the appointment of an elected person to the taskforce.
He also called for Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass to table the notice he received about the meeting.
However, Dr Nattrass was not at the 13 June council meeting.
“I find it bizarre the WA Government would fax something to the Lord Mayor at 5:30pm and that the Lord Mayor would be forced to make a decision,” Mr Goodman said.
“I didn’t like the way the Lord Mayor made the decision all by himself.
“There is something fishy going on. The probity of the whole matter is under question.”
Councillor Janet Davidson said if the taskforce had any feeling for the council, it would have given it more time.
Despite the confusion, councillors are keen to have a representative on the taskforce.
They have appointed council CEO Garry Hunt to represent them.